A knee which exhibits a deficiency in the anterior cruciate ligament presents one of the most difficult problems in the field of sports medicine. Many surgical procedures have been made available in the prior art for the repair and reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. A number of such surgical procedures are presently being performed by arthroscopic techniques in order to eliminate the requirement for large incisions, prolonged hospitalization and prolonged rehabilitation.
The guide of the present invention is particularly intended for use in an arthroscopic surgical procedure for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament which involves transplanting the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons through the knee joint in order to replace a deficient ligament. In carrying out the procedure, the two tendons are passed through the posterior capsule in the back of the knee, through a hole in the femur into the knee joint, and then through a hole in the tibia. Present prior art instruments are not particularly suitable for this procedure and, as a result, considerable time and effort are wasted by the surgeon in attempting to pass the tendons through the knee joint.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a guide which is particularly suited for pulling the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons through holes in the femur and tibia and through the knee joint in a quick and expeditious manner.